This invention pertains to an improvement in an apparatus of a type used to apportion and dispense dough, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,282, U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,700, U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,842, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,027.
Generally, as disclosed in these several patents, the apparatus comprises a hopper, which has a bowl adapted to hold dough, and which has a lower outlet having a lower, circumferential cutting edge, a cylindrical piston, which is shaped so as to fit closely into the outlet, which is associated operatively with the outlet for axial movement of the piston between an upper position wherein the piston plugs the outlet and a lower position wherein the piston is spaced below the outlet, and which has an upper surface having an upper, circumferential cutting edge, means to reciprocate the piston between the upper and lower positions, and means to dispense dough from the hopper. In the apparatus, dough thus dispensed is cut off, by the cutting edges, as the piston moves from the lower position to the upper position.
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,282 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,700, the apparatus comprises a hopper, which has a bowl adapted to hold dough, and which has a throat opening downwardly from the bowl and having an upper portion and a lower portion, an annulus, which is mounted coaxially and integrally in the lower portion of the throat, and which has a cylindrical outlet opening from the bowl and having a lower, circumferential cutting edge, a rod, which is reciprocatable coaxially in the hopper between an upper position and a lower position, which has a lower portion extending through the outlet, and which has a lower end extending downwardly past the cutting edge of the outlet when the rod is positioned in the lower position, and means to move the rod downwardly and upwardly so as to reciprocate the rod between the upper
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,282 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,700, the rod is moved downwardly by a handle, which is pressed manually by a user, and the rod is moved upwardly by a spring coil, which biases the rod upwardly. Alternatively, it is known for the rod to be moved downwardly and upwardly by a crank, which is driven by a motor.
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,282 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,700, the apparatus also comprises a valve stop, which is mounted integrally to the lower portion of the rod so as to extend radially from the rod, and so as to be spaced from the lower end of the rod, a valve plate, which is mounted coaxially and integrally to the lower portion of the rod, above and in spaced relation to the stop, so as to reciprocate within the lower portion of the throat, and which has an aperture enabling batter from the bowl to flow downwardly through the plate, and which is shaped so as to close the throat except for the aperture, and a valve disc, which is mounted coaxially and slidably on the rod, between the plate and the stop, and which is shaped so as to block the aperture when the disc is positioned against the plate. Also, the apparatus comprises a cylindrical piston, which is slidable axially in the outlet, which is mounted integrally and coaxially to the lower end of the rod so as to be drawn upwardly into the outlet when the rod is moved to the upper position, and so as to be spaced below the outlet when the rod is positioned in the lower position, which is shaped so as to plug the outlet when the rod is positioned in the upper position, and which has an upper, annular surface having an upper, circumferential cutting edge.
In the apparatus, dough enters the throat from the bowl through the aperture in the plate and is drawn around and beneath the disc as the rod is moved upwardly from the lower position to the upper position, whereby dough is dispensed from the throat through the outlet as the rod is moved downwardly from the upper position to the lower position, and whereby dough discharged through the outlet is severed by the cutting edges as the rod is moved upwardly from the lower position to the upper position so as to draw the piston upwardly into the outlet.
In the apparatus disclosed in each of these several patents, a dough for doughnuts is apportioned and dispensed. However, as disclosed in these several patents, the apparatus cannot be used satisfactorily to apportion and dispense batter containing raisins, shredded coconut, nut meats, frozen berries, or large particulates of other types, as such particulates in batter tend to accumulate in the apparatus, particularly on the annulus and the piston.
Also, raisins which may have been presoaked or frozen berries tend to be crushed by the apparatus, particularly between the piston and the outlet, whereby muffins or other products made from batter containing crushed raisins or crushed berries tend to be discolored. Also, batter of a thin consistency tends to splatter as it flows onto the piston. However, because it is more plastic, dough does not tend to splatter.
Herein, "batter" refers to a semiliquid mixture to be baked, as for muffins, and "dough" refers to a kneadable mass to be baked, as for doughnuts. However, in some contents, these terms may be used synonymously.